The Salt Lick BBQ

Why it’s nominated: BBQ bonafides are subjective, with consensus scattered into fierce factions—the vinegar zealots, the dry-rubbers, the tomato-based titans; even the South Carolinian mustard mavens. Yet many of the country’s finest practitioners of the craft agree that the Texas Hill Country region houses an unparalleled collection of greats, and that the Salt Lick’s succulent sausages, brisket, and ribs are especially worth the trip.

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What they serve: The Texas-bound traveler’s first chance at a Salt Lick bite comes as a test of sorts, thanks to a branch the Roberts family has set up in Austin’s Bergstrom Airport. But while the aromas of brisket and sausages and BBQ tacos (tacos?) might beckon, the savvy pilgrim abstains, making instead the trek to The Salt Lick’s Hill Country outpost, about 45 minutes outside of Austin. There, the all-you-can-eat family platter offers an earthly version of gustatory transcendence: dry-rubbed ribs, red-ringed brisket, and sausages, all smoked over live oak with maybe some pecan shells or hickory thrown in for a kick. Hell, even the turkey—normally a bit player—holds its own at Salt Lick, and the sides aren’t afterthoughts, either. And while gorging here might hasten the day you’ll meet your maker, some pleasures in life are worth paying for later. For now, settle into a picnic table, grab a plastic fork, and enjoy.

The scene: In 1967, Thurman Roberts, built a barbecue pit with his two sons. Roberts cooked up giant batches of barbecue and wouldn’t return home until everything was sold. Slowly, his customer base and his barbecue pit expanded. Today, large circular smoking pits feed the armies of BBQ fanatics that flock to The Salt Lick’s large communal tables—parishioners at the temple of American BBQ.

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